


Why Did It Have to Be You?

by DorianCrowind



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-08-23 07:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 19,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8319304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DorianCrowind/pseuds/DorianCrowind
Summary: In their sixth year at Hogwarts, Marion Preston and Sirius Black are all set up to continue their scheduled programming of mutual mistrust, public humiliation, and gentle hatred. However this year turns out a little different than they had anticipated.





	1. Chapter One - Marion

Marion

“Marion! Get down here now! Your breakfast is ready.”

            It had been such a magnificent morning. Screw mum; she always ruined everything. Still, if I didn't get downstairs quick, there would be nothing left. Throwing a robe over my nightie, I wandered down.

            As I passed the Potter's guest bedroom, I could hear them talking. No doubt swearing that this was the last time they were coming on holiday with us. There was only so much that a trip to California was worth, and mum's constant nonsense would never make the final cut.

Still, I would feel awful if they decided never to come back again. It would mean I couldn't see James over the holidays. Of course, that would also mean no more-

            “Morning, glory! You took your time. Did your boyfriend sleep over or does your hair look like that every morning?”

           Yet another steaming pile of shit from Sirius Black, the world's foremost fertiliser salesman. Ignoring his comment, I stole his toast as I passed him.

            “Oi! You'll pay for that, Preston,” he threatened. Folding the toast slowly and taking a bite, I kept my eyes on him.

            “Ha! I'll believe that when I see it, Black.” Tossing the crusts on the plate next to me, I heard Lily groan.

            “That's my food, Marion,” she said, plucking up the crusts like they were poisonous – and they might as well be – and throwing them into the bin. “Honestly, this is the first and last time I holiday with you.”

            “Come on, you know you came because you love me.” I smiled and kissed her cheek, enjoying every second of her forced frown.

            “Shut up.” She poked my nose.

            “Well she sure as hell didn't come because of Potter,” my brother Val muttered as he sidled into our presence. He ignored all the food on the table and went straight to the sink to start washing up.

            I never understood Val very much. He always seemed to just be... there. He got shot of us as soon as he finished Hogwarts and came here to live with Tina. But I could never blame him for that. As soon as I'm done, I'm off in a shot too. Like I said: screw mum.

            “Too right, Val,” Lily agreed, biting into an apple and going back to reading the Daily Profit. James squirmed next to Sirius.

            “I'm not that bad am I, Evans?” He smirked, leaning over the table to her. “I saw you checking me out on the beach the other day.”

            “Anyone making that much noise gets a certain amount of attention, Potter,” Lily replied, not looking at him. “I'd have looked if it were a pig squawking that loud. You must be incapable of restraining yourself.”

            I couldn't help it. I laughed. I will always love James Potter. He's practically family. But he can dream on if he thinks Lily will ever like him. Sometimes I can't even believe she likes _me_.

She's not horrible or anything, actually the opposite. Lily just hates the fact that James is spoiled and arrogant and, to be honest, Hello, my name is Marion Preston and I'm a rich kid.

            “Oi, kids, no murder before ten.” Tina walked into the room rifling through the post, planting a kiss on my head.

            “No one's dead yet, sis,” I said.

            “I dunno, it seems James' ego just went through the ringer.” She poked her tongue out at him then ruffled his hair. “Ryan had to leave for work early so he's not joining us this morning. Ooh, but I'll be having some of those pancakes, thank you, Val.”

            Val nodded and watched Tina tuck into the pancakes. I'll say this of our brother; he can cook. I took a few for myself.

            “Speaking of Ryan, have you two set a date yet?” I asked her. She chuckled.

            “I knew you would ask before you went, chicky-poo. You know we only discuss our relationship when you lot are out of our house.” She leaned over and winked. “But between you and me, spring next year is looking promising.”

            “Oh, Tina, that's so amazing. Congrats,” Lily said, reeling off something generic about how happy she was for Tina. I wouldn't know, I was too busy stripping off bits of pancake and dunking them in a puddle of syrup before sucking them down one by one. Yum.

            “You're gross.” Sirius winced, but it didn't seem to stop him eating. Typical. “Honestly, I pity the poor fool you date. He's got to kiss that mouth. I mean some people might be into that shit but... no.”

            “Black, have you ever had a thought you didn't immediately verbalise?” I snapped, purposefully eating another strip and flicking syrup at him. He went to flick some back when mum walked in.

            “Don't you dare, young man. One speck of syrup on this wallpaper and you'll wish you hadn't.

            The sound of frightened scrotums shooting back into stomachs was practically audible. I would have smirked if not for the slap to the back of my head.

            “And you, be a lady for once in your life,” mum spat. Honestly, screw that woman. Screw her, screw her, screw her.

            “Mum, can you not?” Tina sighed. “It's too early.”

            “You ought to be thanking me, Augustine. I've seen the school reports for these boys. I've just saved you a month's salary on redecorating.”

            I saw Tina shift at her full name. Honestly, mum does know how to pick them. Me and Johnny are lucky dad picked our names. If I had a name like Augustine or Valkyrie, I'd probably change it too.

            “You got any records on good pest control specialists, mum? I think Tina's got more than one yucky thing she'd like removed from her house.”

            I expected the second slap, so I ducked in time.

            “How dare you! I should wash your mouth out with soap, young lady. Your boyfriend is in the bathroom. He'll be out any minute.”

            My face fell like the pancake strip from my fingers. “Kyle's here?”

            “Yes, I just let him in.” Mum shrugged.

            “What the hell did you do that for? Do I look presentable?”

            “Honey, I've long given up on expecting you to look presentable,” mum huffed. “I'm off for a walk on the beach.”

            As she left, I wiped the syrup from my chin with the back of my robe sleeve. I heard the lock on the bathroom door click and my palms went sweaty.

            “Shit, fuck! Seriously fuck mum! Fuck her!”

            “Why not? Almost everyone else has.”

            I had no more patience for his shit today. At best I had twenty seconds before Kyle would walk in and see me. But it was James who shut him up.

            “Hey, mate, not cool,” he said as he shoved Sirius' arm. Tina was ushering me to the back door.

            “Come on, you, we'll get you looking gorge in no time. We'll go up the back stairs.” Practically shoving me out into the garden with those tiny hands, she turned back. “You boys behave. Lily, stall him please. And Val, be nice.”

            She pulled me around the house to the back stairway. The ground was freezing against the pads of my feet and I trod on a stone.

            “Shit on a stick!” I exclaimed, stopping to pull it out. “Seriously, Tina, fuck mum.”

            “You shouldn't let her get to you.”

            I wriggled out of her grip. “Easy for you to say. You've only had to deal with her once a year since you left school. I hate her. She's a bitch.”

            “You always have had a way with words,” Tina sighed. “Come on. Let's get you sorted.”


	2. Chapter Two - Lily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius Black - Otherwise known as the mouth on legs

Chapter Two

Lily

Every time I had seen Kyle, he always looked on point. I could see why Marion liked him so much. The tanned skin, sandy hair, soft brown eyes. And of course, the pièce de résistance: her mother didn't like him. He was a prize. He stood and grinned at us all from the door.

            “Morning all.” He gave a little salute. “Marion wouldn't happen to be around, would she?”

            “She's just getting ready.” I smiled and he winked at me. I furiously demanded that my cheeks not blush.

            “Yes, but she'll be back,” Val said, turning from the sink and crossing his arms. His expression turned into one of those knotted faces you find in tree bark if you look hard enough. “You can wait, right Kyle? You can wait for her to come back?”

            I knew Val was convinced Kyle was cheating on Marion all this year. Apparently while she was back in England with us, Val saw him with this other girl, but he had told us she was his cousin. Marion was convinced, but Val was not. I was still cautious, but Kyle practically worshipped the ground Marion walked on.

            “Yeah, no problem, man.” Kyle took a breath then turned to James and Sirius. “How have you guys been?”

            “Yeah, we're great Kyle,” Sirius greeted, a devious smile spreading on his lips. “How about you?”

            Alarms! This is not good. That smile means mischief, that much you learn after five and a half years with Sirius Black.

            “Yeah, you should have seen Marion this morning. _Not_ an easy sight, man. Good thing she decided to straighten up before you got here.”

            Shut up! “She wasn't _that_ bad, Sirius. I've seen you look worse.”

            I copied Val's stare, but he was oblivious. Or he just didn't care. Quite possibly both.

            “I know she's our friend and everything, but you don't have to lie. She looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards,” Sirius continued. My hand clenched at my sides and I briefly considered shoving Marion’s discarded toast crusts into his mouth to get him to shut up. Then again, I didn’t want to be anywhere near that mouth. Lord knows what he’d had in there.

            “Really?” Kyle asked.

            “Would I lie to you?” Sirius smirked, the cheek of it. “I mean, I'm no expert, but a smell like that coming off someone, I'd get it checked out.”

            “Sirius,” Val warned, but Sirius was on a roll.

            “Smell?” Kyle's nose wrinkled.

            “Oh, I'm sure it was nothing. But you know, they say things like that could be health-related, right?” He feigned concern perfectly, putting a hand on James' shoulder. “I'm just saying, I hope it's not contagious- ow.”

            One sharp kick to the knee and he finally shut up. James was ready to burst holding in his laughter. Val gave him a withering glare before strolling out of the kitchen.

            “She's fine, Kyle. Don't listen to Sirius, he has no filter.” I patted his arm, but I could tell a part of him was thinking about it. Beautiful he may have been but he wasn't the brightest bulb in the drawer.

            “Hey, Kyle.”

            Marion appeared in the doorway with Tina, smiling and as beautiful as ever. As she kissed him, I could see the hesitation. God, Sirius Black. Was there ever a more pathetically hopeless excuse for a person? When Marion and Kyle left, I kicked him again.

            “Ow, what the hell!”

            “Don't try and tell me you didn't see that coming,” I sneered. His annoying smirk made a second grand appearance.

            “What? I told her I would get her back.”

            “Ugh, you are despicable,” I growled. “Both of you.”

            “What did I do?” James cried.

            “You sat there and did nothing, you useless twit. Do you really think Marion will care about the difference when she finds out-”

            “Whoa, what happened?” Tina asked, sitting back down. I explained without swearing as best I could, and she frowned at the boys.

            “Honestly, you two. You might want to think about giving her a break,” she said.

            “When's she ever given us one?” Sirius mumbled.

            “Well, she invited you here, you ingrate.” I couldn't believe him, sitting there like he was entitled to do so. He just winked.

            “Technically James invited me here, Evans. But fair enough, you made your point.” He stood up. “Me and James are gonna go to the beach. You know, to think long and hard about how to make it up to her. You can sit here and be sour with your books.”

            The two of them left and I was in too foul a mood to put words to it. Tina slipped a hand over mine. “You really shouldn't listen to them. Sixteen-year-old boys have the maturity of an unpotty-trained beagle.”

            I sighed. “They'd aspire to a beagle. At the moment they're more on the level of a teacup Chihuahua.”

            Tina laughed, her jade eyes glowing. “You know; I think you're funnier in your wit that their fart jokes will ever be.”

            I couldn’t help a smile. Marion was so lucky. I knew she was trying not to bring it up all summer, but it wasn't a free holiday that brought me here. My own sister was getting serious with this man from her work, and she had told mum and dad she refused to bring him home if I was there.

            “I'm not having him around that freak!” She had screeched. “He has to think we're normal. He has to!”

            Mum and dad were nice about it. They had said they would talk to her but I knew better than to hope for that. I preferred being here. With Marion and people who appreciate me. Potter or no Potter, I feel like Marion's family is more mine than my own. I know sometimes she wonders why I'm friends with her, but how can you not love someone like that? How many people can you say make you feel extraordinary?


	3. Chapter Three - Sirius

_Are you serious? It's three in the morning. Who the hell is banging on the door?_

  
Bang. Bang. Bang.

  
Whoever it was, they seemed to be going for some sort of record on noise made with a door... or whatever. I was too tired to think. I threw a sock at James, but he was dead to the world. Of course I'd have to be the one to get up. Lazy sod.

  
“Black!”

  
Now, that did cheer me up. It was her. Goodie, clearly I'd done something to piss her off. I wanted to hear it so I could take notes. Maybe a decent mental picture or two. She was quite the picture when she was angry. Kind of cute-looking like a raging chihuahua. Tiny and adorable, but no doubt that she could rip your face off.

  
“Black, get out here, now!”

  
Christ, she could’ve just about taken the door off its bloody hinges. I put a robe on so sliding out from under the covers wouldn't be so painfully chilly, but I didn't tie it shut. Nah. I was sure she'd like a little gander at me in my boxers. A body like this is too good to hide away.

  
I padded to the door and swung it open. Her fist nearly pounded my chest as she continued to go for it.

  
“Alright, what did I do now?” I sighed, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. I knew that would set her off. A vein in her forehead threatened to pop. The whites around her turquoise eyes were bloodshot matching her flushed cheeks.

  
“What did you do?” she repeated. I could see her losing it. “What did you do!”

  
“That was the question I asked, yes,” I said, keeping up the game. “Am I going to get an answer?”

  
I don't care if it's a cliche or whatever, but it really is the calm before the storm that lets you know the danger is coming. I narrowly missed a beating, leaping back just in time.  
“'I hope she's not contagious'? Really? You honestly thought he wasn't going to say anything, you little turd!”

  
There it is! My reward. I leaned against the door frame, allowing the robe to fall open and display my chest. Hey, I should look good for this. And what's a little hatred without some nail-bitingly delicious sexual tension? Her eyes locked with mine.

  
“Hey, you've only got yourself to blame for that.” I shrugged. “I told you I'd get you back. You better believe it. You've seen it now.”

  
I thought she was going to hit me again, but something far more unnerving happened. She smirked. One of her perfectly-shaped eyebrows raised. Her jaw clenched.

  
“Fine. If that's really the way you want it, then let the games begin.”

  
Ooh, I hoped that meant what I thought it did. It had been so long since we'd mucked about. It would be the first time out of school. No teachers in the way. Same battle, new arena.

  
“Meaning...”  _Please say it. Oh God, please say it_! 

  
Her eyes glistened in the dim light. “Meaning, it's war.”

  
She stomped her moody self down the corridor and I had to smile. This is what I lived for. Ha, what a treat. A chance to show off my God-given pranking skills and an ocean view. Messing with Preston; what a way to spend a holiday.


	4. Chapter Four - Marion

Breakfast the next morning was much more fun. Mum had taken Johnny to a brunch to schmooze some officers from the American Magical Government, so there was no chance of her making a fuss. Lily and I had been up since the crack of dawn after I told her the good news. To be honest, she didn't seem too impressed, but I was too excited to care.

            The boys shuffled into the kitchen after Tina and Ryan left for work, plopping down in front of two cereal bowls. I suppose they thought they were cute not to bother putting shirts on, but it just made what I had planned more fun.

            Watching them pour the flakes, I could barely contain myself. I pretended to be reading this morning's Daily Profit over Lily's shoulder for something to do. As if. I barely read it in the country it’s actually published in.

            “Marion, can you pass us the milk?” James asked.

            My heart shuddered. That was my cue. I pushed two little milk jugs in front of them both, biting my lip as they filled their bowls. As they put them down again I counted in my head.

            3...2...1

            There was a loud splash, and the bowls erupted in a shower of milk. I let myself go. What a pair of twats! Twats good enough to eat, now. Peppered with fragments of soggy cereal. James flicked a flake off his shoulder and wiped the milk from his eyes.

            “What did I do?”

            “I told you she wouldn't care for the difference,” Lily said from behind her paper. I could tell she was smiling. You can say what you want about Lily Evans being a goody-two-shoes, she does like a good laugh. Unlike me, she just has more _sense_ , than a sense of humour.

            “You are so in for it now,” Sirius threatened, though I refused to take him seriously covered in mushy breakfast food. I laughed right up in his face.

            “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

            Perhaps I should have been less surprised that he wouldn't let it lie. I had plenty of experience in pissing off Sirius Black. In fact, it was one of my favourite pastimes. It was a rookie mistake. I blamed the fact that we weren't in school. It was throwing me off my game.

            The next afternoon I could see the two of them outside under the peach tree. It hadn't bore a stinking piece of fruit in twenty years, but it still looked pretty. They were both staring up into the branches, pointing like gormless idiots. I went out to see what was up. Maybe smack the backs of their stupid heads while I was at it.

            “If you're looking for brains, I'm afraid they don't grow on trees. Unfortunately, you have to be born with them.”

            “Aren't you funny?” James chuckled, poking my side.

            “Leave out, Preston, we're trying to do something, here.” Sirius snapped. It was odd. Why would he be so eager for me to leave. No mean comment, no battle of sarcasm. Not even a threat of lacking and poorly thought out vengeance. His eyes remained fixed on the branches.

            “What are you gawking at?” I asked, craning my neck to try and see.

            “I think there's a peach up there.” He pointed. “We're trying to go about getting it down.”

            “Shit off, is there a peach up there.” I looked again. “There's nothing. You must be blind as well as stupid.”

            “I'm telling you, it's there. For god's sake, are you an idiot? It's there, plain as day.”

            I looked again but I still couldn't see anything. It was a trap, had to be. Well I wasn't going to bite. Not today.

            “You've lost the plot, both of you.” I was going to walk away, but Sirius pointed again.

            “Look, it's right there. You're just not tall enough. Stand on that chair, have a look.”

            Okay, obviously that was the rub. I wasn't going to stand on that chair. No way in hell. Pulling up the one next to it, I planned on pointing out that what they thought was a peach was a hallucination from their subconscious telling them to stop pining over what they don't have, follow of course by my favourite choice swear words when-

            Snap

            The chair collapsed beneath me and I crumpled into a pile in the grass. Sirius howled like a wolf at the moon. James creased up, holding his stomach. Pair of cackling hyenas, they were. I kicked a piece of the broken chair at them. Of course they knew I would pick the other one. I couldn't decide who was the bigger idiot. James, Sirius or me.

            “That's all you got?” I inquired as I pulled myself up. “That's weak.”

            “Yeah sure, weak as a chair when you take these out,” Sirius spluttered, revealing the screws from the chair and dropping them into the grass. That tore it. This ends now.

            “Allow me to demonstrate how the big kids play.”


	5. Chapter Five - Sirius

Chapter Five

Sirius

“Crap, man. No beach today. Nice weather's done. It's raining.”

            “Never mind. I'll be down in a minute,” I called to James from the bedroom. I didn't understand how he spent so little time on himself in the morning. Just rolled out of bed, threw on a shirt and off he went. He's a good enough looking guy, no arguments there. But with just another five minutes he might look nearly as good as me.

            Pulling some jeans and a t-shirt out of my suitcase, I went into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. Shedding my boxers, I caught a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror before it fogged up.

            Early morning and still looking good.

            The hot water on my skin was a godsend. Was there ever anything more relaxing than a hot shower? Maybe James ought to get that memo. Once a day is like, the rules. How can you just roll out of bed and think 'Oh, I showered yesterday? I'll do it again tomorrow'? Amateur.

            I was just finishing up when I heard something in the bedroom.

            “James?”

            No answer. James would have answered. Shit, that must mean...

            “Preston.”

            Wrapping my towel around my waist, I went for the jeans and t-shirt on the toilet seat where I had left them. There was nothing there.

            “No!”

            Running to the bedroom in my towel, I opened every drawer. I threw open both mine and James suitcases. All around it was the same. Empty.

            That _bitch_.

            What did she think she was playing at? I flew down the stairs. I'd find her. She'd pay for this. But as I looked out of the window on my way down the stairs, my annoyance turned to full-blown, hot white rage.

            Running down the rest of the stairs, I threw open the back door and stared at the old peach tree. Every single stitch of clothing we owned was hanging on the branches, drenched in the rain. Oh, but it didn't end there. Just as the red mist was descending over my eyes, my towel was ripped from around my waist and flew away.

            Turning in the direction it fled in, doing my best to cover myself with my hands – but what can I say, I have smallish hands – I saw her.

            There she stood, cackling away like one of those ugly, toad-faced green witches you read about in fairy tales. Not just her either. Lily was there, pretending that she wasn't holding back laughter. Ha. She's not as stoic as she pretends to be. And Tina was there too, wand in one hand, my towel in the other.

            That tore it! I'd had enough of this bullshit. After she gave me a cheeky wave I ran at the door. We'll just see who could pound harder.

            “Open this door Preston, you great cow!” I bellowed, but it's hard to look threatening with your bollocks in your hand. Mocking deafness, she pressed her ear to the glass like she couldn't feel my fist hitting it.

            “I can't quite hear him. What's he saying, Lily?”

            I looked at Lily. She'd better not.

            “I think it was something along the lines of an apology.” She simpered, flashing me a grin. Who did she think she was? I punched the glass again.

            “Oh, I also think I heard some sort of admittance of your superiority, sweetie,” Tina chimed in. I glared at Marion. What do want from me, you straw-haired hag?

            “Well maybe if he said it loud enough for me to hear, I might consider letting him in.” She flicked her earlobe with her finger. By this point my anger was melting in the rain. Could I be blamed? There's only so much freezing bollock-naked in the rain a man can take. Rolling my eyes, my sharp exhale fogging the window, I complied.

            “Preston, I'm sorry for what I said to your idiot boyfriend.” I shivered against the biting cold. “And you're superior to me or whatever. You're superior to everyone. You're God, okay? Whatever the fuck you want, just let me in! My balls'll drop off any second now.”

            With a flick of Tina's wand, I was back in the house. I snatched the towel out of her hand and she muttered something stupid about me being shy. Stuff that. I'm proud of the body I was given. I just don't fancy being known as Captain Blue-Balls for the rest of my life.

            “Okay, Preston, how about we call a truce?” I proposed. I supposed it was in my best interests to avoid a very lacking future. Physically and mentally. I held out a wet hand. Marion considered for a moment, then shook it. She'd won now. She hardly had anything to lose.

            “You have a deal. I was running out of ideas anyway. Let's keep the pranks in school from now on yeah?”

            She went on telling Tina to get the clothes in from outside. I hadn't noticed until she let go, but her hand was really warm. Did she always run that hot?

Lily was just standing there watching, so I shoved my knee up beside her, the long black hairs sticking to my skin. She grimaced.

            “You want to watch? I have to say I would like an audience.”

            A single wink and, as I'd hoped, she turned and walked off. Marion appeared in her place holding another towel. Part of me hoped she'd offer to help dry me, but then any cheap shot I could take at her while she was trying to help me would be ill-advised. Especially while I was naked.

            “Here,” she said as she hung it around my shoulders. “Dry that mop on your head. I don't need mum biting my head off about the carpets. You'd think she paid for them. It's _Ryan's_ house.”

            “Oh, come on. My hair is gorgeous and you know it.” I ruffled it up with the towel then flicked it out of my face. “But if you need help getting back at your mum, looks like my schedule just freed up.”

            I couldn't tell if she was surprised or actually disgusted, but she was considering it. Her eye was doing that twitchy thing it does when she's thinking, or whatever.

            “You want to help me pull a prank?” she asked. I nodded, shaking my hair the way my animagus instincts made me feel most at ease. She backed up to avoid the spray, but didn't say anything. She must have felt a bit bad. Good.

She handed me a t-shirt and some clean jeans and I smirked at her. “I'll say the same thing to you as I did to Evans. You're free to watch, just be sure you can handle it.”

            Her pink lips puckered into that small heart shape they make. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned around while I pulled on the jeans, then turned back.

            “Hey, I'm not done,” I pretended to protest, putting my fingers over my nipples. She snorted, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips. Who doesn't like a little nipple humour?

            “We've changed in the same quidditch dugout for three years, idiot,” she chuckled. “But if the offer is still open to play a prank on my mum, I don't see why not.”

            “Sweet. Might be cool to team up my cunning expertise with that almighty brain of yours for once.” I tried to smirk but I was sure my lips were blue. Still, I liked to think she appreciated my remarkable ability to look devastatingly handsome even chilled with hair that looked like a shaggy dog’s wrong end.

            “And where would we be without your charming modesty?” She shook her head. “Okay then, Black. In honour of our new truce, I propose that we _do_ combine forces and pull a prank together. Come to my room at eight. We'll have a discussion.”

            I pulled the shirt over my head and nodded. “You got yourself a deal, Preston. Heck, I'm even looking forward to it. So much so it might be the first time a girl asked me to her room and I turned up wearing clothes.”

            She chuckled as she walked off, but I was far from joking. I once turned up to Mallory Goldfarb's dormitory wearing nothing but my quidditch overcoat. But honestly, I was a little curious to see how Preston and I worked as a team. And even if it didn't work out, I'd have reconnaissance on how she operated. Win/ win.

            “Why is everything we own wet?” James asked. Well, didn’t he have the timing of a church fart? Plucking up one of my dripping t-shirts, he frowned.

            “It'll be dry in a jiffy, just wait,” Tina huffed.

            Whatever it was he wanted to say, James bit it back when he saw her working her charms. He turned his focus to me, picking off a clump of hair plastered to my face.

            “So I'm guessing Marion won?” he said. The smug bastard. Just because I'm wet and freezing he assumes I'm a loser.

            “Well, yeah. Technically. She beat me this time.”

            “And almost every other time.”

            “- _anyway_ ,” honestly, bro, shut up, “we've called a truce. Valid until, well until we piss each other off again, I assume. The terms weren't really clear.”

            “Wow. Impressive. I mean, I'm totally calling bullshit, but it's a brave effort to be civil. The only time I can see you working together is on the quidditch pitch.” James shook his head.

            “Oh, aren't you funny? Hey, look at me, I'm James Potter. I have four eyes and I'm in love with a girl that hates me and I'm all funny.” I play-punched his arm. I know he hates it when I bring that up, but for some reason he ignored me this time.

            “All I mean is are you sure you can handle it?” he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

            What kind of a question was that? “I've been handling it for five years, I'll be fine.”

            “Hey, it's up to you.” He surrendered. “Just letting you know, I've known her my whole life and five years ain't gonna cut it.”

            “Ah, but you're forgetting one thing, Prongs.”

            “And what's that?”

            I winked. “You're not me.”


	6. Chapter Six - Marion

Chapter Six

Marion

I swung my bedroom door open at 8:30.

            “You're late.”

            “Hey, I'm not a punctual kind of guy. I'm a devil. Rebel without a cause.” Sirius swaggered into my room, and already part of me was deeply regretting this decision.

            “Well, I need you to get a cause right now. That's kind of why we're here.”

            I don't know why I was bothering. He was peering around like he'd walked into a haunted house. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have thought he'd never seen a girl's room before in his life. But, quite obviously, this was Sirius Black. That simply wasn't true.

            “I'm sorry, have you lost something in here?”

            “Hm, what?” He snapped out of whatever daze he was in, lips parted and eyes wide. Kinda cute-looking like a dog who had been caught doing something wrong. “Nah, I was just checking out your room.”

            Okay, I'll play. “And?”

            “It's nice. I always pictured you living in a cave dangling from the ceiling so...” He kept looking back to my photo stand. I don't know what he found so compelling. It's not like he was on it anywhere. Just me my family before dad died, like a million years ago. There were some of Lily and our squad, too. No Sirius.

            “So, any bright ideas?” I asked him, trying to get him to stop acting like a total creep.

            “Hey, you're the brains of the operation.” He pointed out. “I just turned up for the giggles.”

            Lord, give me strength. “Well, let's just be thankful you recognise that oh, so important detail. You're not fit to be in charge of anything more significant than a quidditch team cheer.”

            He gave a chuckle, but more because he guessed that was where he needed to insert laughter. His tiny brain seemed to be more interested in the assorted junk on the night stand behind me now. I waved a hand in front of his stupid, staring face.

            “Don't strain yourself, Black, you have precious few brain cells to spare.”

            He blinked and shook his head. “Okay, okay. I'm listening now. What have you got?”

            “Well where would you normally start?” I shrugged. “Figure out what annoys the target most.”

            “At a first guess I'd have said 'us'.” He frowned. He wasn't helping, the idiot. Still, I smiled.

            “Yeah, well more than us. It's hardly a prank to be ourselves.” 

            “Okay, you're her daughter. How do you not know?” he quizzed. That stung. He was getting close to an exposed nerve.

            “If I knew, would I have asked for your help?” I snapped. Something in his face softened, and I wasn't sure if it made me angrier or not. “She's the most passive person I've ever met. She's like a block of ice.”

            “Ah, I knew you had to get it from somewhere.”

            Okay, that I knew made me angry. “Shut up. If I were cold, how would this be possible?”

            I pressed one of my hands to his forehead and he flinched.

            “Jesus, do you have a fever?” he asked, rubbing the spot I had touched him as if that would change anything. “But fair enough. Anyway, you may think your mum is passive because she brushes everything off, but there's a reason she's such a tight-arse about us.”

            “And what's that?” So he suddenly thought he was the expert? Fine. I asked for help. Let's hear this supposed nugget of wisdom.

            “She as good as said it the other day when she was going on about you not looking presentable, or whatever.” He said it like it was obvious, but I had no idea where he was going. “She's terrified of public humiliation. She doesn't want you embarrassing her.”

            Genius! Of course, why hadn't I thought of that? Oh, wait a minute...

            “That's it?” I exasperated. “She doesn't like looking like a tit? Who does? Besides she's better at handling a stain to the family crest than anyone I know.”

            He shook his head, those black curls unravelling and recoiling with the force. “No, no, that's not what I meant. She can handle it, yes, but that's just because it's usually in small doses. And _never_ in front of somebody who matters. She'd die before letting you show her up in front of people from work or something.”

            “Okay, so now all we have to do is travel thousands of miles back home, break into the Ministry of Magic and tell anyone who will listen that my mum's a slag. A fact I'm sure they already know. Great idea, Black. What would I do without you?”

            I was barely finished when a large brown owl swooped in and perched on the back of my desk chair, a letter in its beak. Since there was so little to be gained in another riveting exchange of words with this buffoon, I crossed the room to open it. Black followed me like a lost puppy and read over my shoulder.

            _Hey Babe,_

_My parents are doing this thing tomorrow with the people from work to celebrate the new academic year. I asked if you guys could come and they said yes. Wear something hot._

_Kyle_

Okay, I don't know how he did it, but Black had to have done this on purpose. I could practically hear his smug grin against the shell of my ear. Bastard.

            “Hey,” he hissed, “aren't the people from his parent's work members of the American Magical Government? Sounds like the kind of people your mother would want to impress, don't you think?”

            I wriggled away from him. “Alright, so you got lucky. Half of the problem has landed in our lap. Are you forgetting that we need something to embarrass her with? Not to mention this will probably be the last time I will get to spend with my boyfriend for God knows how long?”

            “Hey, what are you being so pessimistic about?” He plucked the letter out of my hand and fanned himself with it. “Like you said, the problem's half solved. The two of us, when have we ever had problems making problems? If we force it, it won't work. Relax, let it come naturally.”

            “That's the sort of logic I can get behind.” I snatched the letter back and put it on my desk. “Now get out. Tell everyone about the party, and make it sound good. We have an audience to prepare.”


	7. Chapter Seven - Sirius

Chapter Seven

Sirius

For the amount of time it was taking, those girls better look like fucking angels.

            The rest of us had been standing in the hallway for the better part of half an hour waiting for Preston and Evans to come downstairs. I mean, I know I like to look good, but it's not hard for me. I wouldn't have thought it took that long for a girl like Preston to get herself looking ready. With a face like hers on top of those boobs I didn't get what the hold-up was.

            “What are they doing, prancing up and down in front of the mirror in everything they own?” I grumbled. James thought it was funny, but his mother nudged me.

            “Now, now, Sirius. Be a gentleman,” she said.

            I don't care about being a gentleman. Shocker, I know. I care about free drink and a room full of pretty girls I won't have to see again. Still I didn't have much longer to wait.

            Lily came down the stairs first, her red hair pinned back and wearing a green, fitted dress covered in sequins, or whatever. I had to admit, she looked hot. I practically heard James' heart stop beating. Poor kid.

            Marion wasn't far behind her and shit, did she look a treat. She was one of the few girls I'd seen who could walk well in heels. Her dress was red. Didn't show her cleavage or anything but her pins were a ten and a half by daylight. Hey, who says you have to like a girl to admit she's hot? I might even have chatted her up if I hadn't, you know, _known_ her.

            “Shut your mouth, Black, or you'll catch flies.” I heard her giggle, and all of a sudden she was back. Yeah, she was really hot – as long as she wasn't talking.

            “Come on, we don't want to be late,” Val grumbled before anyone could say anything. He had a face like a slapped arse. Nothing new. It was no big secret that he was going just to keep an eye on Kyle, which was just plain creepy. But then, the guy had always sort of freaked me out. All he did was mope around using the same smarmy look for everything.

            When we got to the party, I was just glad it wasn't some stuffy ministry affair. The entire vibe was blissfully adolescent, reeking of body odour and sweet liquors and varying flavours of lipstick. God, I had grown to love this country. So cosmopolitan.

            “Hey, mom, dad. This is Marion's mother, Persephone. Blah, blah, blah...”

            I wasn't listening to Kyle and all that. I was looking at the giant mirror ball dangling from the ceiling. Whatever it was Preston had planned, I was sure she'd let me know. Like she said, I wasn't in charge.

            When it came to the party, I was spoiled for choice. Most of the kids Kyle knew from his school – I forgot the name – were there. A lot of girls in tiny dresses looking to get with the mysterious handsome stranger with the charming accent. Yes, please.

            Okay, so maybe I wasn't having as much luck as all that or whatever. It was more standing around having idle conversations with the girls who weren't dancing in between catching the odd glance of Preston and Kyle sucking face. Turned out most of the American girls had boyfriends. Who knew?

            James kept staring at Evans, who was doing her best to keep Marion's brother Johnny company. I was busy chatting up some girl – I think her name was Nicole – when he shoved me.

            “For God's sake, the twelve-year-old is having better luck than me,” he groaned.

            I looked over and saw Evans was dancing with the kid. She must have felt left out with Marion draped over that frame of tanned skin and muscles like a pair of curtains. To be honest, I couldn’t blame her for choosing the kid over us. We gave her a hard time, I knew that. And, he was a sweet little guy.

            The music slowly became awful. It appeared Kyle was an advocate for muggle music, which is all bubble-gum pop or eccentric pseudo-dull talky tracks. A decision I could understand, but not my thing. The girl, Nicole, seemed more interested in dancing to that, and I refused to join in on principle. But then, now I was that creepy loner standing by the food with his mate staring at everyone. Over my dead body.

            I had to _do_ something. My hands were literally itching for something to do. Mischief. Fun. I didn't care if I had to de-suction her face off her boyfriend's with my bare hands, I was getting her to come and pull a prank with me.

            James called after me, but I didn't realise he had followed until he pulled me back and pointed at the drinks table. Seriously, I couldn't believe he was trying to bring me into his 'Lily Evans Watchdog' club. But then I saw, standing next to Lily, little Johnny was looking green. Lily was wrestling a cup from his grip.

            We changed course immediately.

            “He didn't realise there was alcohol in the punch,” Lily yelled over the music. “I took my eyes off him for a second.”

            Looking at the kid reminded me of the time the boys and I had sneaked a bottle of red berry rum out of the teacher's lounge. We were thirteen too.

            “Hey, bud, you okay?”

            He looked up groggily, eyes milky and bloodshot even in the coloured lights. His lips were working but I kind of hoped he wouldn't say anything. He could spew his guts any moment.

            “We're gonna take you out to get some air, yeah?” James said, gently gripping the kid's shoulder.

            “Can you get Marion?” Johnny croaked, looking at me. Perfect. I'll be honest, I like him, but I didn't particularly want to be present when this kid blew. I nodded.

            “Sure thing, kiddo. You two take him out?”

            Lily and James ushered him through the dancers and out to the back door. Once they were out of sight, I wandered over to Marion, tapping her shoulder slightly harder than necessary, but hey, I don't want to watch that.

            “What do you want, Black?” she snapped.

            “Oh, okay, I just thought you might like to know that your brother is puking out back, but if not, that's fine. No skin off my back.”

            That got her attention. “What! What the hell are you talking about?”

            “He drank the punch. He didn't know it was alcoholic,” I explained. “I'm sure he'll be fine but right now he's in a bad way and he's asked me to come get you.”

            “Hey, your brother needs you. Go see him.” Kyle ushered her towards me. Funny I didn't think his lips would work again after all that snogging. “Seriously, I'll be fine on my own for twenty minutes.”

            “Thanks.” Marion kissed his cheek then turned to me. “Can you take me to him, please?”

            The back alley reeked of putrid vomit and rubbish from the bins. Johnny was hunched over retching while Lily pushed back his fringe and James patted his back. Lily looked nothing short of elated when Marion turned up. She was looking a little green herself.

            “He'll be fine but I think I saw last week's dinner fly out of him,” she said. Gross, gross, gross. I wrinkled my nose.

            “Aw, Jesus.” Marion crouched where Lily had been.

            “I'm sorry,” Johnny choked out between retches. I swear to God; I would've spewed everywhere if I heard such a noise again.

            “Oh, Lily can you go and tell Kyle this might take more than twenty minutes?” Marion asked. “We're going to have to take him to get washed up. Maybe tell Tina or Val. I don't want mum finding out.”

            “I'll go with you.” I leapt in. Any excuse to get out of this place. My pity for the kid only went so far.

           Lily and I wandered back into the hall together. I had to admit I was glad for the music then. It was a little awkward. We both still smelled like old puke and, well, it was Evans.

            “Hey, I'll go and find Tina or Val if you track down Kyle?” I told her. She nodded and I turned to leave, but before I could take a step, she was pulling me back. “What's the problem-”

            I didn't need to ask; she was pointing to it. She had found Kyle, and Kyle had found that girl Nicole by the looks of it. Anger started brewing in my belly like a pool of lava. Whatever me and Preston did to each other, she was one of us. No one dicks around with us. No one.


	8. Chapter Eight - Lily

Chapter Eight

Lily

Oh, my God, I felt sick, and it had nothing to do with Johnny.

            Val had been right. Kyle was a cheat. How could I tell Marion? How could I look at her face and watch it fall as yet another boy she had trusted failed her?

            Sirius had gone off to find one of the others, which was probably just as well. He looked like he might rip Kyle's head off. Even though I would rather peel off my own skin than hurt her, it was most likely better if Marion heard this from me.

            I walked back out into the rancid smell of the alley. Johnny had finished puking, and was now huddled in Marion's arms while James held his hand. Poor thing. Though right now I envied his pain. With any luck, he wouldn't remember a minute of it.

            “Marion, can I borrow you for a sec?”

            “Kind of busy here, Red,” she said. “What did he say?”

            I shook my head. Why couldn't she see this was important? “No, really. You have to come and see this.”

            Marion's brow wrinkled. “See what?”

            Crap, I'm a terrible liar. What's worse, Marion knows I'm a terrible liar. “Marion, please. It'll only take a second.”

            She wouldn't want James or Johnny to hear me say it, that much I know. She looked pissed and confused, but still she got up and carefully handed Johnny to James.

            “Looks like my hands are being tied,” she sighed. “Can you take him to the bathroom? I'll tell whoever shows up you're in there.”

            I was glad they walked off before I had to do this. Marion turned to me once they disappeared into the crowd. God, those eyes. Those big, worried eyes.

            “Okay, what's up?” she asked. “Is something wrong? I know you wouldn't have made me come out here unless it was, so don't bother lying. You're a useless liar.”

            I told you. She would know. “It's Kyle.”

            “What about Kyle?” Her brow furrowed. Oh, God, I couldn't do it. I led her out to the dance floor.

            “Look, Marion, I just want you to know that I didn't want to do this, but I know if it were me, you'd do the same.” I pointed out across the room. Kyle and that girl were still going at it. What an idiot. Didn't he remember people here knew Marion? That her family were here?

            She went dead silent, and even the music didn't stop me from noticing. I searched for something, anything to say, but there were no words. Her hand gripped my wrist. For support, I thought at first, but then she gripped tighter. She was getting angry. Staring out at them, her turquoise eyes ignited. In fact, she was walking towards them before I had time to stop her. I ran out, but it was too late.

            “I really want to hear what you have to say for yourself,” she sneered. Kyle and the girl looked up, both going from horny and happy to totally terrified in record time. Well, at least they weren't totally stupid.

            “It's not what it looks like, babe,” he said, not so much as a tremor in his voice. The air around me got warmer; Marion was flaring up. Another snide comment from the world's worst boyfriend, and she might burst into flames in a room full of people.

            “Don't you dare try that!” she screamed, people turning to look even over the music. “It's _exactly_ what it looks like. Are you off with someone else every time I turn my back or just on special occasions?”

            My heart started thudding. I noticed a spark snap between her fingers at her side. She needed to calm down. Now.

            “Hey, is it that big of a deal?” Kyle shouted back. He stepped forward as the girl cowered back to hide her blushing cheeks. “Can you really expect me to just stay here and wait for you on the holidays?”

            “That's exactly what I expect!” Marion's voice cut through the noise. “I do it all year around. I'm right here now, though. I've been here for a month. I'm _right here_ and still the moment I leave your sight you're feeling up some skinny blonde in a dark corner!”

            “You’re never really ‘right here’ though, are you?” he retorted. “You can be here all the time, you’d still be running off with your pissing little buddies any chance you got.”

            He was still trying to defend the bad boyfriend’s weakest argument when Sirius returned, his face stone. For one terrifying moment, I thought he was going to lunge forward and punch Kyle in the jaw. I was considering whether I should jump in front of him when a flash flew past my eyes.

            Val had Kyle pinned up against the wall. The music stopped. Everyone turned to look. Val’s hand was clamped firmly around Kyle’s neck. My heart thudded against my ribs and I gripped Marion’s hot hand, pulling her away.

            “I knew I was right about you. Cousin my arse,” Val hissed into Kyle’s ear. “You think about coming near my sister again, it’ll be the last coherent thought in your head, we clear?”

            He didn’t wait around for a reply. Letting Kyle drop to the floor, he swept out of the room, the rest of us scurrying behind him. I didn’t have time for Tina’s frantic questioning, or Persephone’s embarrassed shrieking. I kept my hand in Marion’s feeling it cool. Making sure she was okay. So many people claimed to have their night ruined, but they could all shut up. Only one person’s feeling mattered tonight, and it wasn’t theirs.


	9. Chapter Nine - Sirius

Chapter Nine

Sirius

Marion hadn’t said a word the whole night. Everyone was jabbering on. Persephone had ‘never been so embarrassed by her hormonal daughter’. Tina was ‘so upset she would never associate with that family again’. Even Val was making some form of noise. He’d gone straight to his room and we could still hear him punching the wall.

But Marion, the almighty loudmouth, had said nothing. 

            Lily and James had stuck closer to her than her own shadow. While everyone else was chattering about what should and shouldn’t happen next, they sat there silently holding her hands. I had to say, even if they didn’t like each other, the one thing they would always agree on was Marion.

            Eventually, everyone filtered out of the living room. Ryan went upstairs to put Johnny to bed. The poor boy’s head must have been pounding in all that shouting. Monty and Mia had gone upstairs to pack. They’d advised me to do the same, but I couldn’t leave them down here. I didn’t want to back out of this. I’d not have it said that I skulked off and hid and let the other two sort this out. Not when I was still so angry that it happened.

            “I’m sorry, Marion.” Lily offered when we were the only ones left. She rubbed her upper arm.

            “What are you sorry for?” Marion muttered, her voice crackling from disuse. “It isn’t your fault.”

            “I’m sorry because you didn’t deserve it.” Lily insisted. James nodded too.

            “Didn’t I?” Marion questioned, her eyes staring blankly ahead. “I knew Val wouldn’t lie about something like that. I had to know, deep down, that it was true. That’s a whole year I’m not getting back.”

            “Yeah, just think you could have spent that time dating real men like us.”

            I immediately wished I hadn’t said anything. Wow, did I always sound like that much of a dick? James was staring daggers and Lily looked like she wanted to slowly choke me. Miraculously, I could see a small smile tug at Marion’s mouth.

            “You’re a dick.”

            Well yeah, I’m a dick. You heard it here first.

            There was knock at the door, and I jumped up sharpish, eager to excuse myself from looking like even more of a tool.

            “No worries, guys,” I said. “I’ll get it.”

            Whoever it was, they kept knocking. I didn’t think anyone would want anything to do with us after tonight. Pulling open the door, my heart stopped. That gut-wrenching hatred seethed, aching to find its way to my fists and put itself to good use.

            “Move it,” Kyle growled. He tried to push past me. Oh, no you don’t.

            I put my hand out, every ounce of energy I had keeping it from hitting him. James stuck his head out from the living room door and ran to my side.

            “Leave, Kyle,” he said calmly. “You’ve done enough damage. Go home.”

            “And what will you do if I don’t?”

            That tore it. Grabbing Kyle’s shoulder, I spun him to face me. If he was going to badmouth my friends, he could do it looking into my eyes.

            “Why are you here, arsehole?” I hissed. “Didn’t you get the message earlier? We don’t want you here.”

            “Have I ever told you how much I hate that accent?” He laughed coldly. I wanted to throttle it out of him. “Not that this has anything to do with either of you. I’m here to settle a few things with my _ex_ -girlfriend.”

            “I’ll think you’ll find it has everything to do with us,” James insisted, prising my hand off Kyle’s shoulder. “She’s a good girl. Leave her alone.”

            “Maybe you two idiots didn’t hear me.” He stepped forward, getting dangerously close to my head-butt radius. “I didn’t come here to ask anyone’s permission. That bitch needs to hear some things from me, so move or I’ll make you.”

            Okay, I saw red.

            Before James knew what was what, I had pushed him clear and grasped Kyle, pushing him firmly into the doorframe. His ferrety little nose wrinkled.

            “You want to try calling her that again, you waste of space?” I spat, enjoying every moment he struggled in my grip. James was trying to reason with me but I didn’t want to hear it.

            Kyle muttered incoherently for a moment, so I thought he might have backed down. That is, until Marion and Lily stuck their heads around the door to see what was going on. I practically felt the opportunity rise in his chest.

            “I called her a bitch, and I’ll say it again for free.” His eyes locked with hers. “You think you can embarrass me like that, bitch? In front of everyone I know, you _slut_!”

            It ended there. His words became spluttered nonsense as I kicked him repeatedly in the gut. Taking him down from the door frame I pushed him out into the courtyard, watching him stumble on the gravel.

I punched his face over and over, like it was some magnet my fist couldn’t resist. I wanted to take away that smirk. Any form of satisfaction he got from dicking around with _my_ friends.

            “Sirius, don’t!”

            I didn’t stop. I barely heard the voice calling out to me. Couldn’t even tell who it belonged to. There was still too much white on that face. Too much healthy tissue to soil. I wasn’t even sure what was my blood and what was his now. I didn’t care.

            “Black, stop it!”

            Small, warm hands were tugging on my shirt. I tried to fight them. I could have. I could have broken the hold easily. But there was something in that voice. She didn’t just sound angry, she was scared.

            I let Kyle drop onto the drive with a crunch. In the dim light of the porch lantern, her turquoise eyes blazed an eerie green.

            “I don’t want you in trouble,” she whispered. “Leave him here. He’s not worth it.”

            I didn’t want to. There’s nothing on God’s green Earth to justify what he’s done. His face still angered me; I had more plans for what I wanted to do to it. Still, she touched a hand to my shoulder, fingers grazing my neck, and suddenly I didn’t feel so livid. I gave the idiot one more kick as he moaned on the ground.

            “I hope you realise what an idiot you’ve been.”

            Marion ushered me inside, and to say she looked pissed was an understatement. Her face was a storm, and I was at the eye of it. I prepared for a few punches and the usual verbal castration, but nothing happened. That was probably worse. She said nothing and disappeared up the stairs with Lily, leaving me and James standing there together.


	10. Chapter Ten - Sirius

Chapter Ten

Sirius

Okay, so maybe I kind of lost it for a minute back there. I just hate twats who treat girls like they’re nothing. If you’re lucky enough to have a girl – or a guy, I don’t judge – treat her like that’s exactly what she makes you feel: lucky. Is that so freaking hard?

            Thinking it’s an odd thing to hear me say? Eh, maybe it is. God knows I don’t have the cleanest record. But I’ve always treated my respective partners as they have treated me. So at least I’ve never been a particular love-rat.

            Anyway, James wasn’t talking to me. He’d gone to his parent’s room for a bit to chat while I sat alone in our room. Our things were piled up on the bed he wasn’t sleeping in, save for a few jumpers piled under my head as I lay on the floor. I really couldn’t be bothered to turn on the light, so I was in total darkness throwing a ball repeatedly at the wall. It was just something to do.

            I was slightly pissed when I heard the soft knock at the door. If James wanted to talk to me, he could just come in. I don’t blame him for not wanting to be around me when I’m pissed. I know what I’m like.

            He clearly didn’t get the message, because the same knock came again moments later. Dragging myself up off the carpet, I huffed visibly as I opened the door. I wanted James to see how calm I was. Maybe that would untwist his clearly-knotted, knickers.

            But it wasn’t James at the door.

            “Oh.” I kicked myself internally, quickly putting a smile on my face. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting you.”

            “Oh,” Marion muttered, lulling us into some awkward silence that made me want to stab my eyes out.

            “I… I just wanted to say thanks. You know, for defending me.” She managed. I was too stunned to respond. That look she had given me. I was sure she hated me. At least some sort of bitter disappointment that I expected when I lost my cool. Now she looked kind of sheepish, or whatever.

            “Erm… no worries,” I said.

            “I hope he didn’t hurt you too much.”

            Ah, she must have spotted my blistered, scabbed knuckles. Right, because that clearly was the worst injury suffered. I had to force myself to remember it wasn’t her I was angry at before I replied.

            “I’m fine,” I huffed. “You deserved someone to stand up for you. No one else seemed to be willing. Going on about how _they_ were all so upset when it was you who got hurt. He was a total dick.”

            “I know.” She nodded. “God, am I turning into my mother? She seems to know how to pick them.”

            Okay, I know from experience if a girl asks you if she is like her mother, you say no, and you say it without hesitation. Still, since I know Preston’s mother, I felt it was a topic best left avoided.

            “Don’t blame yourself. He didn’t know a good thing when he had it. That’s on him.”

            Wow, that seemed to have a better than desired effect; she laughed. You know, it was kind of nice to see she had feelings. It was a nice to be reminded every once in a while, since she dedicates so much of her time making me miserable. So she’s not indestructible, or whatever. Neither am I.

            “Well, thank you,” she said again.

            What happened next threw me for a loop and a half. Standing on her toes, she leaned forwards and pecked my cheek. It was quick, and finished almost as soon as it started, but that didn’t make it any less bizarre. My mouth went dry. She scuttled off down the corridor before I could think to say anything.


	11. Chapter Eleven - James

Chapter Eleven

James

One of the perks last night’s episode hadn’t dissolved was that the American Magical Government still allowed us international apparation. Persephone liked to think it was because of her highly intellectual fixes, but we all know it was Tina and Ryan who pulled it together. Anyone who mattered wasn’t at that stupid party.

            That being said, the experience was far from pleasant. It felt like being squeezed through an air locker for ten minutes each way. One of Tina’s friend’s – I forget her name – had taken Marion and the others already. Mum had too much luggage to keep us all together. That was my mother.

            “Fleamont, we’ll be late.” She fussed over my cloak fastening as my father hauled the last of the bags over to us.

            “You know, this might all go faster if you were to help, Euphemia.”

            Ha, that’s my dad. I know she hates her full name just as much as he hates his. She ignored him and gathered Sirius and I on the rug with an assortment of baggage that clearly wasn’t ours. Last time I checked, Sirius didn’t own a carpet bag with embroidered butterflies. She stood to face us.

            “Wait for Michelle to come back.” Ah, Michelle was her name. “She’ll take you and the bags next. We’ll see you at home.”

            She and my dad were muttering to each other as they left the room. They’ve been doing that a lot recently. I try and eavesdrop when they think I’m not paying attention, but I can’t figure out why.

            Me and Sirius were left stuck on the rug with the bags like vines stunted and wedged between statues. I knew we had a few minutes to wait yet before we’d be on our way, but I hadn’t spoken to him all day. He probably thinks it’s because I’m angry, the stubborn bastard. He was the one who stomped up to our room and slammed the door.

            “I’m not mad at you,” I said to break the silence. He blinked.

            “I’m sorry?”

            “Well that’s good to hear.” I grinned. “But what I said is that I’m not mad. You don’t need to be treading on eggshells about what happened yesterday. I don’t care.”

            He huffed. “Somehow I doubt that.”

            “Well that’s not entirely what I meant.” I stuffed my hands into my pockets. I’m no good at this stuff, even with Sirius. “I meant even though I don’t think you should have beat him up like that, I get why. I nearly did myself.”

            He was silent for a while again, rocking back and forth on his toes as much as the bags would allow. He was chewing the inside of his lip like he always does when he’s trying to think of a way to apologise without actually using the words ‘I’m sorry’. Bless him, the smug moron.

            “Yeah well, I know I shouldn’t have gone all full-frontal takedown on him.” He huffed and looked away. It was all I could do to keep back the smile tugging at my lips.

            “No worries, man,” I said. “She means a lot to both of us.”

            Were it not for the nature of the conversation, I know he would have argued. Said he couldn’t stand Preston, the uppity bitch. I never believed him. I am the king of long-term unrequited affections. Ever since he met her I’ve thought that Sirius had it bad.

            Michelle came back not long after, and I was forced through the vacuum of airless, breathless torture involved with crossing a boarder.

Landing on the soft Persian rug in front of my parent’s mantle, I instinctively fisted my fingers in its weave, finding my ground. The bags were all neatly aligned by the sofa, which is more than I could say for Sirius. He was sprawled out and gasping for breath next to me. I looked around for Michelle but she had already gone back for mum and dad.

            I didn’t feel like getting up. We still had a good ten minutes before they’d get here and haul us up and scold us for being lazy. The bags stood upright, mocking us, knowing we’d have to get up and unpack them. Rolling onto my back, I stared up at the chandelier, hearing Sirius do the same.

            “Hey, Padfoot?” I nudged his arm and he groaned a response. “Seriously, why did you batter the guy?”

            “Because he was a total tosser who had it coming,” he answered gruffly. I didn’t want to probe any deeper, but he turned to look at me. “Why do you think I did?”

            “I dunno,” I lied. Ha, I think I’m going to enjoy this. Call me what you like for it, but I have a feeling this is going to be the year it all comes out. Screw it, I’m calling it here and now. Things are heating up around here. Only the chandelier knew what I was thinking, so I swore to it. Sirius is going to realise he likes Marion. I swear.


	12. Chapter Twelve - Marion

Chapter Twelve

Marion

Platform 9 ¾ was exactly the same. The smell of steam and fresh paint filled my lungs as crowds of excited children crammed into the carriages of the scarlet train. It gets better every year, even if the world around us is going to shit. War or no war, nothing is taking this away from us.

            I was standing with Lily, but as a few familiar figures emerged out of the crowds, she was going to have to suck it up and forgive me. My face breaking into a broad grin, I ran at them, throwing my arms around the nearest one’s neck.

            “It’s great to see you, too.” I heard Remus chuckle in my ear. I know I have two _actual_ brothers, and James is as good as, but Remus is the one I never regret having.

            “Aw, didn’t miss me too much, I hope.” I winked as I pulled away.

Standing next to him, Peter was smiling awkwardly. I could tell he wanted me to hug him too but, I’ll be honest, he creeps me out a bit. I mean, all these so-called marauders set off the code red alert in my panic zone, but I knew he had something of a crush on me. That’s not a fire I wanted fanned, and I’m an expert in fire.

“What can I say?” He shrugged. “When I’m not with you, I am filled with despair.”

Giggling, I punched his arm. “Alright, Shakespeare. I hope you are doing okay. Before the summer you said your dad wasn’t well or something?”

He shrugged again and smiled, mumbling about everything being alright. He used to be a much better liar, which meant things had got worse. Deciding not to probe him, I looked around for the two faces useful to cause a distraction. Typical, not there when I needed them.

“No things one and two?” I asked. “I’d have thought they’d be here by now.”

“Why, getting to missing us, sweet thing?”

There it is. Smirking and strapping, Sirius Black came sidling up to us, high-fiving and hugging his comrades with James at his side.

“Screw that, Black, it would be easier to get rid of the plague.” Rolling my eyes, I complied with Lily’s tugging on my sleeve and went with her to find a compartment.

Just as we found one, I heard another familiar voice followed my hurriedly approaching footsteps.

“Cooee!” I was bombarded by the smell of violets and the feel of fresh cotton and blue jeans as Alice ploughed into me. “Nice to see you, Rio.”

My skin crawled a little. I hated that nickname. What was so offensive about the other three letters in my name to puck those ones out? But it had stuck for six years. It wasn’t going anywhere. Apparently neither was Alice, because I had to literally remove her from me.

“Hello, Alice. You seem overly cheerful and annoyingly optimistic, so glad to see everything’s back to normal.”

She giggled and hugged Lily, revealing something behind her to be back to normal too: Mary MacDonald. Sour face and hunched shoulders to match. Like she’d bought the stereotypical teenage girl complete set, pursed lips included. She nodded, but said nothing as we all sat down.

            The sullenness melted as she turned her attention to the others, but I knew it was just me she didn’t care for. Screw that, she knew they liked me more than her. She wasn’t stupid enough to attempt a split. She’d have no friends. Holding Lily’s hand and squeezing, her brown eyes sparked with excitement.

            “You guys probably didn’t hear because you were away, but there’s news about David Berkeley.”

            Lily looked less than impressed, but played along. “Isn’t he that guy on the Ravenclaw quidditch team who asked out Marion last year?”

            I cast my mind back through the various propositions, trying to put a face to him. Not going to lie, it was kind of detrimental to my own opinion of myself to go down the list. “Is he the one with the wonky eye.”

            “He’s _captain_ , this year.” Mary ignored me. “And over the summer, his mother got a promotion at St Mungo’s.”

            Lily’s brow furrowed. “That’s great, I guess, but why is this news?”

            Mary could barely contain herself, bristling with the need to get it out. “Because she pulled some strings and got his eyes fixed… and now he’s _really_ fit!”

            “Ooh, how fit?” Alice asked.

            “He lives near me and I saw him in town two weeks ago. I barely recognised him,” Mary replied. I was still running back in my mind for a mental comparison, waiting for an image to coalesce.

            “Wait, I think I know who we’re talking about now!” I burst out. “Is he the one who nearly made me drop Potter that time we beat Ravenclaw last year so they lifted him up over the teacher’s stand entrance and took off his trousers?”

            “Oh, yeah,” Alice agreed. “Poor boy picked the wrong day to go commando.”

            “Poor boy was yet _another_ victim of their reckless bullying.” Lily corrected with a frown. I didn’t laugh for her sake. I suppose it was a dick move of them, but they are dicks. I’m more willing to let things slide than she is.

            “ _Anyway_ ,” Mary pressed, “we can’t _all_ but going out with gorgeous Californians. Some of us have to make do with what we have here.”

            Ah, crap, now this is out in the open. “Actually, none of us are going out with a gorgeous Californian.”

            Mary’s face went back to stereotypical teenage girl mode, and Lily looked horrified. Oh great, now I’m the centre of attention and Mary has another reason to be passive aggressive. Even as my ex-boyfriend, Kyle is still causing me grief. Sounds like one of mine.

            “What happened?” Alice inquired, switching to my side of the compartment and holding my hand. “You seemed so excited to see him before the holidays.”

            “I’m fine,” I assured, snatching it back and looking to Lily for a life raft. “It just wasn’t working.”

            “Yeah, it wasn’t even that big of a thing.” Lily jumped in. “I mean, we were on holiday with Potter and Black. You don’t really think anything else could possibly hold our attention for too long, do you?”

            “What did they do when they found out?” Mary gasped. My grateful smile faded and all relief and gratitude I felt for having such a sharp best friend disappeared.

            “Yeah, were they mad?” Alice questioned.

            “Did they beat him up?” Mary said.

            “Look, I really don’t want to talk about it.” Oh, my God can’t these girls just get boyfriends of their own and get off mine? That’s actually kind of what gave me this problem.

            “Oh, shut up, they totally did, didn’t they?” Mary squealed.

            “Well, I think I slapped him after I caught him with this girl and Val was _not_ happy,” I said. Alice squeaked a little.

            “Even so, he was not the angriest person in that house,” Lily grumbled. “Everyone was pretty high-strung that night but we both know which one took it too far.”

            Holy crap, I forgot to tell her that Mary and Alice didn’t know about that. I’d told her I was going to tell them, but I wasn’t actually going to. As her green eyes met mine, I saw the realisation bloom as she bit her lip. Alice squealed like someone was slowly letting the air out of a balloon, and I braced myself.

            “Oh, my God!” She flapped her arms then seized me. “Do _not_ tell me that James Potter and Sirius Black fought for your _honour_!”

            Mary gasped. “That is so incredible! Two of the fittest guys in our year came to your rescue. Which one was it? Was it both of them?”

            “Will you two vultures leave out of it?” Lily snapped, but I think she knew it was far too late to reel this back in. Mary switched benches to sit on my other side, her face so thrilled I wanted to punch it inwards just so I would have to look at it.

            “Okay, you two want to know, fine. It was Sirius. He punched the crap out of Kyle when he showed up at my sister’s house. That’s it. Nothing else.”

            It didn’t matter that there was nothing else. Alice and Mary were replaced by giggling hyenas who seemed only to be able to repeat what they had just heard in varying exited voices. It didn’t even matter when I removed myself from between them and sat next to Lily.

            “I am so sorry,” she muttered. I took her hand.

            “Don’t worry about it. I did lie to you.”

            “Well unfortunately it’s something you’re good at.” She smiled and squeezed.

            Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – these so-called marauders are harder to shake than the plague. The four of us found ourselves again wandering into their presence at Hogsmeade Station, each now clad in their scarlet and gold robes.

            My attempt to escape into the masses was proven to be in vein when I heard a velvet voice.

            “Preston! I was wondering where you’d got to. I almost missed you.”

            The other three cackled like crones, and I rolled my eyes. I didn’t see what was so funny.

            “Yeah, that’s hilarious, Black,” I hissed. “No really, my sides are _splitting_.”

            My meeting his glare was only broken by a sideways glance at Alice. I didn’t want her to think I couldn’t see her out of the corner of my eye, looking between me and him as if she were seeing some sort of supressed attraction. Ridiculous.

            “You look good. All that sun must have melted the hate right out of you.” He smirked. Smug bastard.

            “Good to know, Black.” I folded my arms. “But, believe me, no amount of sun could melt my contempt for you. You can be sure of that.”

            “Aw, is that because I’m special?” He pulled a puppy pouting face, and I could practically _feel_ Mary’s excited squeal. She tried to hold it in, but no one with my hearing could have missed it.

            “Ah, Preston, you know I’m beginning to see some of myself in you.”

            You what?

            “Dream on Black,” I said, my smirk visibly unnerving him. “Besides, everyone knows mine’s bigger than yours.”

            James, Peter and Remus cracked up. The girls were tittering away behind me; even Lily. Come back from that one, Black. I dare you.

            It seemed his wit failed him – not for the first time – and our laughter was bordering on tears when someone knocked my bag over.

            “I’m sorry,” said a voice. I turned, and was faced with a thick crop of golden curls as the boy dropped to his knees to pick up my bag. “Should have been watching where I was going.”

            All I knew about him before he raised his head as that he was in Ravenclaw. The blue and silver lining on his robes made it obvious. When he looked up, I could barely believe what I was seeing.

            He had a winning smile, stretching from ear to ear. Flicking his flopping fringe out of his eyes, I realised who it was.

            “David? Hi, how was your summer?”

            Okay, I have never put much sway into anything Mary has ever said ever, but she was right. David’s crossed brown eyes were focused. Sparkling, even. He continued to grin.

            “Yeah, it was great thanks. Maybe I’ll tell you more later.” He handed the bag handle to me. “See you at the feast.”

            “Ooh, Marion, you bounce back fast.” James winked.

            “Suck a cock, James.” I blew him a kiss, pretending I couldn’t see Mary’s jealous glare as we walked to the carriages.


	13. Chapter Thirteen - James

Chapter Thirteen

James

After the usual laundry list of warnings from Dumbledore about things we’d never think of doing anyway, we tucked into another fantastic Hogwarts feast. Opposite us, Marion was scowling at Sirius over her pudding. I could see it in her face. It wouldn’t be long before something kicked off.

            “Got a fascination with me, Preston?” Sirius asked, dropping his spoon loudly in his bowl. “Only I’d be ever so grateful to get back to my food.”

            “Not in the slightest.” She smirked. Before Sirius could reply, Dumbledore rose from his seat. Listening to him go on again now seemed a small price to pay for a bit of peace.

            “What a welcome back, dear friends. Another excellent feast prepared by our wondrous kitchen staff.” There was a short pause as we clapped limply. Not like the house elves could hear us from here.

            “Another year begins at our beloved school, despite the tribulations of those who would see it and all its glory torn to the ground.” A hush fell over the hall, broken only by the unmistakeable sound of everyone’s hair standing on end. “Let us not live in fear of those who wish to destroy us, but in the simple joys of life that they, for all their power, shall never know.”

            I think Dumbledore could sense the tension in the room. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see if he would dare say You-Know-Who’s name. If he was going to confirm everything their parents were surely trying to hide from them. One of the second years a way down from us looked like she was on the verge of tears.

            “For now, off to bed and rest well. Ready for a busy day tomorrow.” Dumbledore clapped his hands, and it was like the silent spell was broken.

            “Like I’m gonna be able to sleep after that creep-fest,” Sirius grumbled.

            “Actually, considering the doom and gloom, it was more cheerful that I was expecting,” Remus replied as we all rose from our seats. Sirius raised his eyebrows.

            “No offense, Moony mate, but coming from you that doesn’t fill me with confidence.”

            “C’mon, mate.” Peter jumped in before Remus could argue. “You know you’re gonna find out what you’re doing about quidditch this year when we get in, right? I remember you saying Damon Pokesworth made you all try out before the summer so he could pass down his captain title.”

            I felt the smile creeping up on me. “Captain is _so_ in the bag for me.”

            “Yeah, well, it would suck to be captain, anyway. The whole team’ll hate you,” Sirius huffed, though his bitterness melted into a smirk as I pulled his fluffy head under my arm.

            “Aw, mate as if you could ever hate _me_!” I grinned. “Besides, I’ll be sure to keep you on the roster, at least as a reserve.”

            “That’s more than he deserves, James,” a voice chirped from behind us as we climbed up to Gryffindor Tower. “He should be lucky to get in at all with the way he ambles about up there.”

            Sirius growled at Marion’s smug face. “Shove off, Preston. You know, I always wondered how you managed to fly with your broomstick up your arse.”

            “Up my arse, is it?” she hissed. “And I _still_ managed to beat you for first string chaser every year now since we were thirteen. What does that say about you, I wonder?”

            Next to her, Alice and Mary tittered. Lily shushed them both in that way she does when she doesn’t want me to think she’s as much of a bully as I am, or however she happened to have last phrased it. She caught my eye and scowled.

            “Look, you two, we’ll see soon enough,” I said, trying to sound like I wasn’t enjoying this as much as I was. I had to sound like I was mature, better. Even if the only person I was fooling was me. “Flobberworm.”

            The portrait hole before us opened, and the lads and I chased after Sirius and Marion, who were elbowing children out of the way to get to the bulletin board. The sound of elated whooping filled the air before I could even see the list. With all the jostling, even my glasses weren’t much help.

Gryffindor Quidditch Team September ‘76

Captain – James Potter

Chasers:

Marion Preston

Sirius Black

Gregory Higgins

Beaters:

Felicia Tillmouth

Dominic Vlassak

Keeper:

Michael Leventhal

GET IN! GET IN! GET RIGHT IN!

            “Yes!” I exclaimed, receiving thuds on my back from people I couldn’t even see. Quidditch captain, what an honour! Only my dream since I was ten. Screw it if the team hates me. No one else will. Just jealous because they ain’t me.

            “Nice one, mate,” Peter congratulated, punching my arm as Remus cheered. Nothing was going to ruin this moment.

            “Yes, ha hah!” Marion screamed, jabbing a finger at Sirius’ face. “Second to me for the fourth year running, Black. The World’s Best at Second Place. Someone call the Profit; I think they’ll want to schedule your interview now.”

            Well, well, victory _and_ a performance. Don’t mind if I do.

            “You know, I’d like to see things from your point of view, Preston,” Sirius snapped. “Too bad, really, I can’t shove my head that far up my own arse.”

            Her laughter ceased, and I could tell that the comment stung a bit, but still her eyes had that fire in them. The kind they get when she’s ready for a fight.

            “Really?” she replied. “Bend over, I’d be happy to help you with that.”

            Most of the room gave a squawk of praise, looking expectantly at Sirius for a comeback.

            “You don’t want to go down this road with me, Preston.” He warned her. “I know something you don’t like.”

            “You know a lot of things I don’t like,” Marion retorted. “For example, every facet of your smug, slick-arse two-dimensional personality.”

            The cheering got louder, but still Sirius was unfazed. I had to admit, I was as eager as everyone else to hear what he had to say. It must have been something juicy. He’d have given up by now, otherwise.

            “Well,” Sirius sighed, “apparently there’s a facet in there you found appealing enough to kiss over the summer. Or had you forgotten?”

            No. Freaking. Way.

            It seemed I wasn’t the only one who could feel their chin brushing the floor. Lily, Alice and Mary looked like they’d been slapped in the face, and everyone who heard was stunned into silence. Kissed him? When the hell had _that_ happened? I was all set to nervously butt in, but Marion – the only one of us who didn’t look so shocked – wasn’t finished.

            “Oh, my dear, sweet, Black,” she said. “If you keep getting this excited every time someone pecks you on the cheek, you’ll be pregnant before you finish school.”

            The room filled with laughter, and I joined in in spite of Sirius’ grimace. Whatever had or hadn’t happened, she won. Sirius scowled and huffed off somewhere. I gave Marion a well-earned salute.

            Leave it to these two to make the year interesting from the get-go.


	14. Chapter Fourteen - Marion

Chapter Fourteen

Marion

It was our first official day as sixth year Hogwarts students, and how was I going to spend it? Apparently by proving to everyone what they already knew: Lily and I are better than all of them at charming Professor Slughorn.

            He’d rolled into the classroom with his usual spring in his step like no time had passed at all. A dozy smile was stretched across his wizened face, and his patched robes billowed out from his plump frame as he trotted to his desk.

            “Welcome back, sixth years. It’s good to see you all still interested in the art of potion making.” He grinned distractedly, fumbling at his pockets like he always did when he thought he might collect something valuable. Stopping his rummaging when he padded the top pocket of his robes, he let out a contented sigh.

            “Today we are going to head straight into the practical work. I can see you all have a copy of the book for the term and I trust at least a handful of you have read it.”

            A pitiful number of us raised our hands. Me, Lily, a few of the Ravenclaws and… James? I can’t say Sirius was the only one wrinkling his nose at him, half disgust and half confusion, but it hardly mattered.

            “Splendid. Right, today were are beginning with the Draught of Living Death. For those of you not familiar with this potion, it sends its victims into a death-like slumber, almost like suspended animation. Extremely tricky to make so be sure to proceed with the utmost caution.”

            He eyed us all individually, I supposed to make sure we knew what he was talking about, but his bug eyes just made it frightening.

            “The recipe can be found on page fifty-nine of your books. Let the brewing commence.”

            And that was our cue. Lily and I were up in a shot. She set up the equipment while I ransacked the stock cupboard for the best ingredients. Twelve Sopophorous beans, a sloth brain that didn’t look like it had been pickled for seventy years, and all that. We weren’t about to risk failing over shoddy tools.

            “Eurgh, this is harder than I thought.” Lily winced as we added the brain and the concoction bubbled.

            “Come on, Red, the book says it’s supposed to do that. It’s fine,” I said, pushing the book down the desk so she couldn’t see I was lying.

            “Are you sure?” She wrinkled her nose.

            “Look, that’s everything done. Get Slughorn to check it and he might let us go early,” I said as I stirred it.

            Slughorn came over and dropped a small leaf into the cauldron. It floated on the surface for a while, and I could hear Lily actually stop breathing, then shrivelled.

            “Not a bad specimen, girls.” Slughorn looked at both of us. “Maybe lacking a bit of Sopophorous juice, but a good first attempt, indeed.”

            Yes. That was good enough for me. Perhaps now he’d let us scamper off to the library. It couldn’t hurt to catch up on work now so I could piss about later.

            “If you wouldn’t mind, ladies, it seems like your classmates are struggling.” As he spoke, one of the Ravenclaw girls pulled her stirrer from her cauldron, a glob of green mess stuck to the end. “For the rest of the lesson, I would like you to share your expertise with them.”

            You must be joking. All that work to make something barely passable out of the hardest brew ever made, and _this_ is the thanks we get.

            “Come on, Marion,” Lily chuckled. “You can’t expect him to just let us go on the first day back at school.”

            Yes, I can. But then, I have extremely high expectations.

            Though perhaps luck was on my side after all. Across the way, I could see David Berkeley idly swilling away at his cauldron. I knew exactly where my help would be most useful.


	15. Chapter Fifteen - Sirius

Chapter Fifteen

Sirius

What the hell even is Potions, anyway? I never saw the point. Just a reason for chemistry losers like Snivellus to say they’re smart. I can mix things in a pot with water really well – said no one important, ever!

            That being said, I sort of missed not having Potions with the Slytherins like we did last year. Then, at least, we were game for a laugh. Snivellus never fails to give us something to do. Now we were with the stinking Ravenclaws. Bunch of stuffy brain-boxes with nothing fun in the least about any of them.

            This is what I had been reduced to: scribbling on pieces of parchment and folding them into aeroplanes. I could literally feel my mind turning to mush. Of course the two brains almighty were done. Slughorn had sent them around to help, or whatever. I was just waiting for James to finally give up of the pot of slush we’d made and wave Lily over. That surely promised entertainment.

            Launching another of my doodle planes, I watched it land by one of the Ravenclaw cauldrons. Right next to a slender hand I knew on instinct. The one that set off the dung bombs and planted the erumpment powder. One of those.

            She was perched on the end of the table, flirting shamelessly with some blond… someone. I could only see the back of his head so that’s all I had to go on. Typical Preston. Bounces back quicker than a house elf when you mention clothes.

            Her long hair was flowing all the way down her back. I hadn’t realised how long it had got. It was nice, I mean, I like long hair. Poor Mr Blond didn’t stand a chance. You know, if he liked long hair too.

She had that smile on as well. The one that made guys brains go fuzzy like a radio station with no signal. Not that I would know, or anything. She never sent that smile my way, and I would never want her to.

“Sirius?”

            Well, that was embarrassing. I hadn’t realised I had been staring quite that much. Now I was looking up at Marion who had walked over to the table, my tiny plane in that slender hand.

            “I take it this is one of yours?”

            “Might be.” I shrugged. She unravelled the paper and looked at the drawing, her pointed nose wrinkling.

            “What is it?”

            I snatched it back. “Give it here. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Look there’s a wolf. He’s howling at the moon.”

            “Is it?” She leaned closer, her look of confusion growing. “It kind of looks like an aardvark trying to snort a giant balloon.”

            I could have argued, but she wasn’t far off. I sighed and scrunched up the parchment, throwing it away.

            “Descended from on high to mingle with the commoners, I see,” I snapped. “Or maybe you’re just here to tell me what else I’m doing wrong?”

            She smirked. “That would take an awfully long time. We’ve only got fifteen more minutes before class is over.”

            Leaning over our cauldron and taking what could only be described as a brave peek, she winced.

            “Where’s James scampered off to? Hardly fair he’s left you with this.”

            Okay, then I felt bad. I hadn’t even noticed he’d left while I was gawking like a fool. I sat back, trying to play it off nonchalant.

            “Probably off to harass your red-headed friend, I’d have thought.”

            “Yeah, that sounds like him.” She smiled at the thought, not at me. Never at me. “Still it would be bordering on cruelty to leave you here with this mess. I don’t know what this is, but it is _not_ a Draught of Living Death. This looks like it would _actually_ kill you. More like a Toxic Sludge of Doom.”

            “If you think you can help,” I said, stirring it and feeling the thick gunk resist the pestle.

            “I am making no promises,” she replied as she peered in again, leaning over me to get a closer look.

            It was then I caught a whiff of something. Something sweet. I couldn’t quite mark it. Between sandalwood and the burning embers of a dying fire. I closed my eyes, breathing it in. If I had to guess what being warm smelled like, it would be this. I could feel the skin on my arms erupting in goosebumps as it caressed my senses.

            I only wished I hadn’t opened them. I blinked and saw my nose was almost pressed against the skin of Marion’s neck. I begged kill me, let me die right here. Whosever idea it was to make me a dog animagus and curse me with this sense of smell, I wanted them flogged.

            “What are you doing?” Marion asked, her face shocked as she looked down and saw me so close. I leapt back with such speed I had to grab the table to keep my chair from falling back. She jumped up just in time to avoid a splashing of the Toxic Sludge of Doom.

            “What, nothing!” I insisted, hoping to God there weren’t as many eyes on me as I could sense.

            “You got a thing for me or something?” she hissed, backing way off like a cornered snake.

            “Come off it, Preston. If I wanted to date a troll I’d hike up to the mountains and find one.” I was hoping that might work, but her face was still like a storm.

            “Then why were you so close, you weirdo?”

            “I dunno, you smell nice, I guess?” Oh, fuck-a-duck-and-Call-It-Larry I could _not_ have said that. “It’s just… it’s nothing, just leave off, alright?”

            And, for the first time in at least three years, Prongs was not the biggest idiot around girls in our group. Marion shuffled back off to Mr Blond’s corner, waiting for the eyes to find something else to look at.

I sat back down and practically slammed my head into the desk, thinking that if I tried hard enough it might kill me and save the embarrassment. My stomach was in my shoes, my heart where that should be.


	16. Chapter Sixteen - James

Chapter Sixteen

James

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t thoroughly enjoying this.

            Sirius had a face like a slapped arse from Potions to the lunch hall, and I was loving every minute of it. I could honestly say I hadn’t seen it coming. ‘You smell nice’ was not what I had in mind when I said the two of them would admit they liked each other. Still, that face without its usual smirk was better than nothing.

            “You’re an incredible tool, you know that, right?” I laughed, clapping him on the back. Remus and Peter giggled behind me. They hadn’t sat down two seconds before I gushed it all out to them. Turns out they felt the same way I did. Who’d have thought?

            “Oh, can we not just forget it?” Sirius huffed and chewed half-heartedly on a tuna sandwich.

            “Why the hell would we want to do that?” Remus asked, a grin spreading across his face. “This is good for at least two weeks of mocking.”

            “Yeah, more than when James ran into a column chasing Lily to Hogsmeade.” Peter put in.

            I knew this was going to last, because no one turned on me after that. Usually any chance to rip into me about my little crush on the girl that hates me is a step off a cliff with insults hurled at me all the way down. This time, not even Sirius laughed.

            “In any case,” I began as he slurped his pumpkin juice to try and drown me out, “even if we let it go, she won’t.”

            “True.” Remus agreed. “It’s what she does best. Next time you try and pull something off on her, this is coming out of the archives. Especially after that stunt you pulled the other day telling all of Gryffindor she kissed you.”

            “She did kiss me!” Sirius whined. I shushed him.

            “On the cheek. As a thanks, mate. And since you and I know what she was thanking you for, even I have to say that was a dick move.”

            Sirius sighed, his chest deflating as he leaned into the table. “Yeah okay, whatever,” he mumbled.

            “No, not whatever, mate.” He’d told me what happened that time in California. It wasn’t something to be simply ‘whatevered’ and forgotten. “Take the shame, Padfoot.”

            “Yeah.” Peter grinned. “At least now you don’t have to be embarrassed about your little crush anymore.”

            Sirius’ head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

            Well here we go.

            “Oh, Padfoot, try denying it again when you haven’t been caught nose-deep in her neck.” Remus chuckled, clapping Sirius’ shoulder from across the table.

            “Okay, you’ve clearly taken one too many full moons to the brain, Moony,” Sirius hissed. The angry vein on the side of his neck was popping. “Where in this conversation did I say anything about liking that hag?”

            “I thought it was subtext in the whole ‘you smell nice’ comment.” I smiled. I couldn’t help it, this was just getting better and better. The vein was doing a Mexican wave in his neck now.

            “I’m telling you: I do not fancy Marion Preston.” He leaned over the table, his voice a snarl. “I’d sooner try to get off with Moony on the afore-mentioned full moon.”

            Remus winced but said nothing. Sirius’ anger melted into something much more dangerous: he was smirking. That weird glint in his eye was the same one he got when he was going to pull a prank. Not good.

            “Please don’t tell me you’re going to do something stupid,” I sighed. The glint didn’t go away. If anything, it got worse.

            “It’ll only be stupid if it doesn’t work,” Sirius muttered.

            “Mate, with your track record that’s a bit of a bold statement to make,” Peter said, pushing his plate away. Sirius thought for a while, every second sapping the joy out of the situation. Why did he always have to ruin everything? Can’t I enjoy someone else being hopeless and stupid for once in my life?

            “What is Marion’s least favourite colour, I wonder?”

            Wait, what? I sacrifice a precious moment where the great Sirius Black got taken down a notch and _that’s_ what he’s come out with? I raised my eyebrows.

            “Why the hell does that matter?” I snapped. Maybe it sounded a little over the top, but I was more pissed about this than the other two. Sirius recoiled slightly, then looked at Remus.

            “Okay, then. Remus, care to help a brother out?”

            Remus shook his head. “Oh no. Don’t drag me into this. There’s no way I’m pouring gasoline over this Mirius fire.”

            “Mirius?” Peter’s brow furrowed.

            “Marion and Sirius.” Remus explained. “With all the crap they get up to, I got tired of wasting my breath saying both names. Problem, boys?”

            I supposed there wasn’t. Besides there was a larger focus here. Sirius drummed his fingers on the desk as he thought.

            “Well if you two are going to be boring, I’ll just take an educated guess.” He rose, shouldering his satchel. “You lot think I fancy Preston? We’ll see how long that lasts.”

            With every step he took away from us, my heart dropped lower in my chest. The boys and I exchanged worried looks. One of us might have been naïve enough to wonder how bad it could possibly be. But no one wants to be the cliché to utter famous last words.


	17. Chapter Seventeen - Sirius

Chapter Seventeen

Sirius

Well, someone clap me on the back and give me a medal. For a plan like mine, I deserved it.

            I strode into the Great Hall for breakfast, wearing my pride on my lips as usual. Apparently I wore it well – no surprise there – and I threw a wink at the girls who smiled at me as I made my way down to the boys. Let’s see them hold the genuinely stupid belief that I like Preston after this.

            “What are you going to do, Sirius?” Remus asked warningly when he saw my expression. I suppose it’s habit for him by now. I grinned.

            “Oh, look who’s all interested now, eh? I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with it.”

            “I don’t,” he said. “But I’m still going to try and stop you. Come on, is it _really_ worth it? You are intentionally inviting the wrath of Marion Preston.”

            Ordinarily he’d be right, but I just didn’t want to hear it. I mean, who bothers to come up with an awesome if convoluted plan, or whatever, and just gives up without the chance to show it off? Not me, that’s who.

            “That wrath is what keeps me sharp, my friend.” I grinned, looking around before I reached around into my robes, waiting for my fingers to close around my brilliant plan. “I had to bribe one of the fourth year nerds for this, but it was worth it.”

            Their reaction was one I invited. They all looked equally confused and intrigued, staring at the small bottle of pink liquid swilling around in the small tube.

            “What is it?” Peter asked. I pulled it out of his grasp before he could touch it. I loved him and all that, but he was always the one to draw attention to our less-than-legal operations. If I was going to get caught for this, it would be after. Not before.

            “Oh, this old thing? I’m glad you asked.” I hid it in my cupped hands so only they could see. “This is pure proof I don’t fancy Marion Preston in a bottle.”

            “Right,” James said. “And the shelf name for that would be?”

            “Ooh, touchy!” I put it back into my pocket. “You’ll see.”

            “If it’s going to cause her any physical pain, fair warning, I _will_ hold you down and take it away from you like I did in fourth year.”

            “This is hardly a bag of Tightpinch Spiders, James. I’ve moved on.”

            He shrugged. I had no idea what had him in such a foul mood all of a sudden. Usually he loved watching me and Marion go at it, even if he was technically her friend too. But then, I could see Lily at the other end of the table. She caught my eye and glowered, and I guessed he’d probably already been shot down before breakfast. Harsh, but all the more reason for me to cheer him up.

            “Whatever it is, you better get on with it.” Remus warned, pointing to the entrance. “She’s here. I can’t look.”

             The wuss. I did all the work. He was damned sure going to watch it, at least.

            “Uncover your eyes or I’ll tell everyone in this Hall about the time you soiled yourself in the Common Room when we fed you laughing candies.”

            Remus’ brow furrowed. “That was Peter.”

            Ah, yes it might have been. I didn’t have time to hear Peter’s whine or see his blush. Target was fast approaching down towards us. She grimaced when she saw me. Nothing new.

            She sat down on the other side of the table, a way down from us with Evans and that so I could see clearly. Only one thing was going to give me trouble: getting my mixture into her drink. A small blip, yes, but also the only thing required for this plan to work.

            It was time to go behind enemy lines. I strode over, enjoying the way her face went for smiling to sulking as she saw me approach.

            “What do you want?”

            “Well, good morning to you too,” I chirped, arousing suspicion that raised her eyebrow.

            “If you think that there’s anything I can help you with, you’re sorely mistaken.” She waved me off, turning back to Evans, who was grinning.

            “Yeah, you ain’t getting a sniff.”

            Okay, minor setback, but I have no shame in admitting that made me angry. Whether she’d seen my unfortunate lapse in self-control or Marion had told her, the anger spurred me on. I saw Marion pour some juice. Target acquired.

            I sat down opposite them. “You know, if you girls truly were as funny as you were pretty, you’d be giving me a run for my money.”

            “You wish you looked this good, you crusty old troll.” Preston snarled as she turned away from me. That was not very friendly, but it succeeded in getting her to turn fully away from me. Opportunity seized.

            Leaning forward, I emptied the contents of the phial into her goblet. The orange liquid turned pink for a moment, then faded back as if nothing had happened. That familiar warm buzzing flew up my spine as I pocketed the empty container. It grew as she reached for the goblet. This was it, the payoff.

            “Good morning.”

            Okay, not going to lie, at this point the anticipation had me so strung up it was like dangling meat in front of a starving Thestral. Mr Golden locks from the platform had come over to resume flirting, but now I could see his face. Oh, my God he was…

            “Balls-out Berkeley?”

            I couldn’t help it. The words had slipped out on instinct. He glared at me, frozen like someone had slapped him in his right-golden face, or whatever. The boys turned and looked, making the same double take I did. It _was_ him, but his boss eyes and buck-teeth were gone. Well, that and he wasn’t dangling upside the faculty stand after a quidditch match.

            “Oh, it’s _you_ ,” he spat, his words laced with spite. I could hear the ill-concealed sniggers from the rest of them hissing low in my ear.

            “Ha, yeah. Long-time no see.”

            I would have said something else, but my tongue tied as he reached for the goblet. What to do, what to do? I could either reveal the plot and worsen what it was trying to fix, or let the guy I slightly might have kind of tormented last year take on more humiliation meant for someone else.

            Oh well, I’m going to hell either way.

            Not one part of me was capable of feeling remorse as he walked away, his golden hair inking a bright pink before he reached the door. What a result! I would have to get more dirt on that fourth year. I would like to have him owe me a few more favours.

            My body wracked with laughter. What else was there to do at this point?

            “Sorry… meant for you,” I choked out in a livid Marion’s direction. Even blurred through the tears in my eyes she looked pissed, but I had to admit, I didn’t see her hand coming.

            “You moronic bastard!” she screamed as the flat side of her hand slapped across my cheek. “What in the name of all that is holy was that? What have I done to you?”

            Both students and teachers had ceased their chewing to get a good look as I rubbed my cheek. It was going to leave a mark. This was not the kind of attention I was looking forward to. Anger began to flare in my belly as keen as the sting on my face.

            “Keep your knickers on, Preston,” I yelled, rising from my seat. “Anyone would think you were the one who _actually_ got pranked. But then personally, I _love_ your ability to get deeply offended by other people’s pain.”

            James and Remus were already shuffling down; I could see them out of the corner of my eye. But they weren’t going to stop me. She’s had this a long time coming.

           “Oh yes, it’s clearly _my_ fault that you have the emotional maturity of a six-year-old!” she hissed, sliding out from the bench stool with Evans. “Screw you, Black.”

           She stormed out, the eyes of onlookers leaving her to focus on me and the red welt that was surely blooming on my cheek. The one thing that followed her out was my rage. She wasn’t going to get away with this that easy. Not by a long shot.


	18. Chapter Eighteen - James

Chapter Eighteen

James

Well, with a breakfast like the one we had, my first quidditch practice as captain was officially going to suck. And I had such high hopes. I love Marion and Sirius, but sometimes I want to see their smirking, pretty faces at the business end of my wand.

            Everyone showed up on time, which wasn’t nothing. I had to make sure the newbies didn’t think I was a wash. I mean, not a lot of captains pick the new team before they graduate rather than allowing their successor to hold try-outs, but it’s not against the rules. Didn’t set the best bar for me, and if those two were planning anything stupid, I was screwed.

            What was I thinking? They’d never planned anything un-stupid in their lives.

            “Okay, first thing’s first, welcome back everyone.” Thirty pairs of eyes blinked at me. Great crowd. “Just a reminder to you all, I know that Damon assembled this team but I’m in charge now and I have no reservations in replacing players who don’t pull their weight. Understood?”

            Well, that managed to catch their attention. Still it wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for. A unanimous hum of annoyed groans sounded from them. It was a miracle I got them into the sky.

            Perhaps it was optimism, but the first few minutes made me actually believe everything was going to be okay. I wished every one of them could fly like Marion. God, I had never seen focus like it. I threw the quaffle into their midst, and she swiped it from the air before it began to descend.

            She was off in a shot. Reserve players dove from her path rather than risk tackling her. She dipped, rose, swerved and shot: the keeper was no match for her.

            “That’s hardly fair,” he moaned. “No one is even playing her!”

            “Calm down, Michael,” I hollered over the wind. He had always been a sore loser. Not one for criticism. “Whether or not anyone tackles, your concern is the goal.”

            No respect, but at least now they knew I was serious. Marion winked at me as she passed. I liked to think she was proud of me. If she was behind me, I was sure it wouldn’t take long for the rest of the team to fall in line.

            In the next play, my options were limited. I wanted to try something new, so I had the team chasers lined up, but the reserves were nowhere near as good and mastering this was crucial for our first match of the season. I needed competition.

            “Okay, reserves, you’re starting. On my whistle: three, two…”

            Marion had possession before the whistle sound ended. There was little point in intervening. I had my work cut out for me.

            Eventually we got to a point where the reserves weren’t blundering idiots who threw the ball whenever someone came near to avoid a bashing. Or maybe Marion sensed my frustration and toned it down a notch. Either way, what I wanted to try was becoming a definite possibility, so I lined them up.

            Marion, Sirius and Greg were lining up for the goal, forming a perfect V. I was working on a new move for the season, and I was pretty sure this was where I wanted it to start. Throwing the quaffle into their midst, Greg caught it first and passed to Marion. I thought I had told her what I wanted, but instead of passing, she went straight for the goal.

            “Pass!” I heard Sirius bellow over the freezing wind. “Preston pass!”

            She didn’t.

‘Oh crap,’ I thought as Sirius broke formation to tail her. I grasped for my whistle but my icicle fingers refused to grip and slipped off the plastic, and it plummeted out of sight beneath me.

            “Preston!” Sirius screamed again, trying to get into Marion’s path. She swerved – _actually_ swerved out of his way. She was going for the goal out of spite. Brilliant!

            “Pass me the fucking quaffle!” Sirius bellowed. He was coming up behind her, taking advantage of her blind spot. I could tell what he was going to do when one of his hands left his broom.

            ‘Please don’t,’ I begged the air. ‘Tell me he won’t.’

            Lunging forwards, off balance in his frustration, he knocked the quaffle clean out of Marion’s grip. Though his hands flailed for it, he had to grab back for his broom, and Marion stopped to dive for it. I had never see a dive like it, and it got me moving. I raced after her, my panicked heartrate firing hot blood back into my fingers. She wasn’t going to stop. She was going to hit the ground; I was sure of it.

            But she did stop about eight feet shy. The quaffle had hit the ground. It was too late.

            I leapt off my broom and approached her, but I was secretly hoping she’d pass me by. The vein was throbbing, nostrils flaring. I only wished I was as brave and stupid as Sirius. He’d be ready to walk into this fire. He was already doing it.

            “What the hell, Black?” Marion screeched, throwing down her broom and stomping up to him. “We’re on the _same team_ , you twit! If I can score, you’re not supposed to stop me.”

            “We’re practicing plays you haggard old wazzock!” Sirius yelled back. “If you want to play solo, wait for drills. Eurgh, I am so _done_ with you.”

            “Come on, like I don’t play every game solo anyway. You are the most useless lump of a chaser on any team _ever_.” Marion poked him hard in the chest.

            “Who do you think you are, Preston?” he hissed, pushing her back. “You may seem to think you’re the golden child up in that party of sundance and rainbows you call a mind, but out here you merit _none_ of my special attention.”

          Marion put her hand on her hip. “Oh, I don’t, do I? Then what do you call trying to turn my hair pink this morning?”

            “Hey!” I leapt between them, hoping to God that they were above exchanging painful physical blows. “Both of you shut it. I don’t care what personal crap you two have heaped on each other this week. You’re both off the pitch. Go back to the dormitory.”

            They glared at me, then at one another, but didn’t argue. The vice squeezing my lungs loosened when I realised they were giving up. I could hear the rest of the team muttering. I suppose I should thank them both for their stale attitudes; the others might start listening now. Grumbling, they headed off to the pit to change, elbowing the other if they walked too close.

            “Right, the rest of you,” I barked, puffing out my chest as I turned to the rest of the team. “I want you to take the next play and run with it until you can do it in your sleep! Anyone is replaceable. Get up there!”

            There was no hiss of back chatter or delayed reaction after that. I could only hope that Marion and Sirius hadn’t killed one another by the time I got back to the Common Room. And that neither of them killed _me_ for the stunt I pulled. Then and only then will I call this a good day.


End file.
